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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2017 13:37:48 GMT -5
Today I mixed .4 ounces of the mince, 1 tsp. warm water, and 1/4 tsp. salmon oil for each fuzzbutt. Jaxson ate most of his portion from the bowl. Jazmine left .1 ounces of the soup untouched. Now she is looking for her kibble, lol.
Tomorrow I will try adding a little extra water but no salmon oil to the mince.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2017 13:46:02 GMT -5
Update: Just added some water to what Jazmine had left and she ate it all.
How many ounces of mince / soup is an average full meal?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2017 4:34:56 GMT -5
Sorry for my late reply. For some reason my notifications aren't working. T. T
Girls tend to eat fairly small amounts. I'd say 1-2oz is around the girl meal size. Sometimes even 3oz. Males can eat anywhere from 1-4 oz or more depending on age. Since you're just starting with the transition, feel free to feed more if you notice they eat it all. Many ferrets eat alot during the first few weeks of raw. They tend to make use of the easy to digest nutrients. ^^
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2017 13:14:16 GMT -5
Today I mixed .9 ounces of mince, 2 tablespoons of warm water, and 1/4 teaspoon of salmon oil for each ferret. Both of them started to eat it and left some in the bowl (Jaxson surprisingly left a lot more than Jazmine did). I was able to spoon feed the rest of Jazmine's portion to her and she ate it all. Jaxson was a little more resistant and left .2 ounces of the soup (I don't know the exact measurement of just the mince that he left as he left .2 ounces of the mince mixed with the water) but I gave it to Jazmine and she ate it right up. So today she had about an ounce of the mince (mixed with water and salmon oil, it was about two ounces altogether) and Jaxson had slightly less. photo uploadingRight now, should I be working on increasing the amounts that they are eating or taking out the mixers (water and salmon oil) or both at the same time? Also, it looks like Jazmine might have adrenal. I noticed that she is starting to loose a little bit of hair on the underside of her tail. It's the only symptom she's showing so far. I have been without a car for the past month ever since my boyfriend & I broke up (he was my only source of transportation) but my parents are giving me an estimate of one - two weeks before they purchase me my first car. I have the money and everything for the vet appointment and implant I'm just trying to coordinate a ride to the vets! As soon as I get my car or find a friend that's willing to pick us up and bring us we will schedule an appointment for the implant, it just might be a couple weeks. I feel awful for it. If you think it's really necessary that I get the implant sooner, I can always ask my ex-boyfriend (he bought me the ferrets and has raised them along with me until he moved out a month ago). I just really hate asking him for favors and feeling like I owe him something. image post
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2017 13:42:25 GMT -5
1. Ferret's name: Jazmine. 2. Ferret's weight: 1 lb. 15.6 ounces. + 1 ounce 3. Ferret has eaten "X" amount on average per meal: This week, the highest we've gotten is 1 ounce of mince (mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and 1/4 salmon oil, so about 2 ounces altogether). 4. Stools on various proteins: Her stools look normal with the chicken mince. 5. Activity levels: Activity levels have increased slightly. 6. Weekly menu: Kibble down 24/7 except when we try the mince once a day (so more like 20/7, lol). They get a quail egg three times a week and 1/4 teaspoon of salmon oil the other 4 days.
1. Ferret's name: Jaxson. 2. Ferret's weight: 2 lbs 12.7 ounces. + 2.7 ounces 3. Ferret has eaten "X" amount on average per meal: This week, the highest we've gotten is .8 ounces of mince (mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and 1/4 salmon oil, so a little under 2 ounces altogether). 4. Stools on various proteins: Stools look a little runnier than usual after eating the mince. 5. Activity levels: Have not changed. 6. Weekly menu: Kibble down 24/7 except when we try the mince once a day (so more like 20/7, lol). They get a quail egg three times a week and 1/4 teaspoon of salmon oil the other 4 days.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2017 19:39:31 GMT -5
It really sounds like they are getting so much better at the raw feeding times. I'm quite happy with that steady progress you have going on. You certainly can begin to increase the amounts and/or taking away the water and salmon. You could do that at the same time. ^^ Adrenal is one of the big bad 3's. I really hate them with a fiery passion. I'm glad to hear that you're willing to have her vetted and get the implant done. You really have it planned out, that is wonderful. You're doing the best with what you can and that makes you a responsible ferret owner so don't feel bad about it slight delays because of transport. ^^ Having the implant done now or within 1-2 weeks may not make much difference. In general, the sooner the better but you should be okay if you cannot make it in the next fortnight. The fact that it will be done is fantastic. Good on you. If you notice that the stools are loose or runnier than it should be, you can try less water. If no difference, try adding in a little bit of bone meal powder or egg shell powder. This should firm up the stools. If they go well within the next week, you may want to consider cutting back on the kibble and start by having a breakfast or dinner meal of raw. I love the fact Jazmine has had a slight increase in energy levels.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2017 1:09:43 GMT -5
What are the other two of the big bad 3's? I'm assuming insulinoma is one of them. What's the other? I'm honestly shocked because she's only 2 years old. Who knows, maybe it's something else, but I figured I might as well get ahead of it just in case it is. Tomorrow I will try the grinds and just the salmon oil with no water and see how they take to it. How much bone meal powder should I add in for every ounce if he still has runny poos? I love how she's been so energetic the past few days too. She's been awake more in general and instead of running away from Jaxson while playing and hiding under the dresser from him, she's actually been instigating play and fighting back more often than usual, which has been fun to watch. P.S. Something totally unrelated. Do you use the forum on your phone or computer? I logged in today from my computer and my photo signature is taking up half the page! Does it look like that to you or is it properly sized? It's quite obnoxious, I hope it hasn't been like that this whole time.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2017 15:48:06 GMT -5
Today I mixed 1 ounce of grinds per ferret with 1/4 teaspoon of salmon oil. They had a couple licks and left so I added 1 teaspoon of water to each of their bowls. Jazmine ate most of her portion, had to spoon feed the last little bit to her. Jax left about half of what I gave him so I added in another teaspoon of water, he still didn't seem interested today. I offered what he had left to Jazmine and she ate his leftovers. His poos seem to still be a little runny. And it seems that Jazmine is liking the mince more than him now, lol.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2017 8:38:59 GMT -5
Sorry for my late reply. My internet was cut off but I have it back on now. ^^ The big bad 3 is Insulinoma, Adrenal Disease and Lymphoma. Those three are the most common illnesses that ferrets may be prone to. They are all equally heartbreaking. Are you sure she isn't just shedding? Hairloss for adrenal tends to be more at the base of the tail. My Haru has hairloss at the tip of her tail during shedding. It tends to grow back though. ^^ Either way, the implant is still a great prevention. For bone meal or eggshell powder it can be anywhere from ½ to ¾ tsp. Less if you find stools dry, more if they are still loose. That's the real good thing about stools. If you notice they are loose or runny, it can tell you that you may need more bone in meat in the diet, or if they are dry/seedy or chalky, then less bone in meat. I use the phone occasionally on my phone. Sometimes I use the mobile browser one. Usually I just use tapatalk. ^^ I only just noticed your signature too. I wonder when that happened. I might have a closer look later on and see what I can do If I can do anything (since I am a HFF forum tech as a side job.) Also fantastic work with Jazmine and Jaxson! They're doing so well.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2017 8:40:13 GMT -5
Oh in regards to your signature. It seems to be resized to normal size now, so that's good. I wonder if proboards had a glitch or something. ---- Update: It only seems to automatically resize on threads. When I check your profile it does seem quite large. I believe your image itself may be a little large. This would be an ideal size: Here is the BB Code (Take out the spaces.) [ img ] s24.postimg.org/n3qwn05cl/HOLISITC.jpg [/ img ]
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2017 17:14:49 GMT -5
Thank you! I just resized it and it looks a lot better now!
She is shedding a lot right now, so it may just be shedding. But as you said, I might as well get it for preventative measures. I have heard that the panel they use to test adrenal here in the states has a lot of false positives so I don't even want to bother with that. How else can you confirm that your ferret has adrenal though?
Today I mixed .8 ounces of grind with a quail egg (for each ferret). I had to add 1/8 teaspoon of salmon oil to even get them interested in it. Jazmine ate most of hers and I spoon fed the rest to her. Jaxson left about half but I was able to spoon feed the rest of his to him, too.
Tonight I am going to defrost 4 ounces total and see how much they will eat tomorrow. How do you know if your ferret is really full? They often stop eating the grinds and walk away, but when I offer it from a spoon they'll eat more.
Both of them took a huge bite of the soup today and brought it to underneath the dresser to hoard. It was so funny to watch!
Also, earlier you mentioned next week if things go well to try to do a full meal of the grinds. What does this mean? To not return the kibble at all to them?
Jaxson was doing so well earlier, but it seems like he's slowly declining with his progress while Jazmine is doing amazing. I wonder why he no longer seems interested.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2017 19:58:39 GMT -5
Adrenal diagnosis is usually based on clinical signs. The most common clinical signs in ferrets with adrenal disease include symmetrical alopecia (hair loss) and pruritus (itching). Sometimes only thinning of the coat may be seen. The loss of hair frequently starts at the base of the tail and back and may gradually progress to a more generalized alopecia. In [surgically spayed] females, vulva swelling and occasional mammary gland enlargement may be noted. Males may experience an enlarged prostate. There may be a re-occurrence with sexual behaviour (mounting, etc), This is often accompanied by an increase in skin odour produced by the sebaceous glands. Ferret may also exhibit increased aggression. Other potential signs could be dramatic muscle/weight loss, lethargy, etc.
Adrenal Panel for Ferrets is generally not a good option for a confirmation, or so I have heard. Many prefer just to prevent rather than waste time and money on the test when there is such a high risk for false negatives. Unfortunately, it may be similar with any diagnostic tool. Every tool has it's own use, some may be more ideal than others depending on what they are being used for.
Here is a few that checked up on in one of my books: Urinalysis - An increased urinary corticoid: creatinine ratio (UCCR) is said to be found with ferrets who have adrenocortiocal disease. However the same can apply for [intact] ferrets during breeding season and ferrets with an ovarian remnant, so this makes this would only be considered a screening tool.
Diagnostic imaging (radiographs) can be used but would only ever be helpful if or when the adrenal glands are enlarged or contain mineralisations. Ultrasounds may be done as well, however it only allows evaluation of the size and morphology of the organs and does not provide any functionality of the tumour. According to Ferret Medicine and Surgery, CT may be useful when evaluating the adrenal glands in ferrets. Intravenous contrast medium will be needed to enable better visualization of the size of the gland. There are many ways to test and evaluate, each have their pros and cons depending on what they are used for. Adrenal disease is most commonly diagnosed by clinical signs and then prevented and/or managed. Some ferrets may have obvious and clear signs or multiple symptoms for certain diseases, whereas other may not necessarily have many/if any at all.
Ferrets are pretty good with their food, especially when raw. Raw fed ferrets rarely over eat and simply eat until they are satisfied then come back when they feel they need a refill. Since Jaz and Jax are still in the process of transitioning, the back and forth is pretty normal. I'm actually super happy they they are now openly taking the food from your spoon. ^^
Also, earlier you mentioned next week if things go well to try to do a full meal of the grinds. What does this mean? To not return the kibble at all to them? You can still feed the kibble, at least until we are 100% sure they are eating the new food on their own. What I meant was that instead of having kibble available 24/7, you can start putting their food onto a time table. You could try feeding kibble for breakfast then the soup for dinner. (Or vice versa, which ever suits you best.) What you can do for the time being, would be to take the kibble away temporarily, and leave a good portion of the soup in the cage with them for a couple of hours. If you find they ate most or all of it, then you should have a good confirmation that they are eating soup when you're not around and then you could move onto having the soup as a dinner or breakfast meal. Eventually as they improve, you can aim for full removal of the kibble, then gradually move onto different raw foods. ^^
Every transition may have it's ups and downs. Every ferret will get there in their own time. Considering the progress at this current stage, I do believe Jaxson and Jazmine are both progressing wonderfully. Jaxson may possibly be getting bored of the same protein or taste. Have you ever tried him with a piece of raw chicken breast? I wonder if he would take to that new texture. You're also doing a fantastic job with them. Good work~
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 19:40:37 GMT -5
Thanks for the info on adrenal. I am going to go ahead and get the implant for Jazmine as soon as I get my car. I will get Jaxson's a little bit later too as a preventative measure (I don't want to completely deplete my vet savings at once, lol). The implant should be done yearly as a preventative measure, and around every 6 months if the ferret has confirmed adrenal, right?
Today Jazmine ate 1.5 ounces of chicken mince with a quail egg and 1 tsp. of water, and Jaxson ate only 1 ounce of mince with a quail egg and 1 tsp. of water, which I mostly had to spoon feed to him. He has been hoarding mouthfuls of soup a lot, and today literally tried to take the spoon away from me when it was full of the mince and hoard that too. I stopped adding so much water and his poops seem a lot better. Jazmine used to do the tiniest poops when she was eating kibble but they have been growing in size lately and becoming lighter in color. Is this normal?
I only have one day's worth of chicken mince left in the freezer. My parents are test driving this car they saw online Saturday, and if all goes well and they like it, I'll be getting my first car (their old one) Saturday as well. I haven't been to the grocery store in ages so I won't be able to try the chicken breast or thighs for a bit (I work Friday & Saturday from 12 pm - 10 pm and going to the the store via bus takes forever), but I can definitely go pick up some chicken & more chicken mince if things go well with the car on Saturday. If Saturday doesn't work out for whatever reason with me getting my car, should I go ahead and try the lamb mince that I have in the freezer?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 23:50:53 GMT -5
Also, one more thing not diet related (figured I'd ask you instead of posting to FFL). Are wood stove pellets okay to use for litter? I got some a while ago (it was recommended to me by a friend) and just started to use them yesterday because I ran out of paper pellets. When cleaning today I realized that some of the pellets had turned into dust.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2017 1:38:20 GMT -5
Yes, the implant is done every 6 to 9 months. ^^ I love how ferrets try to hoard all the tasty foods. I find it so amusing. I'm happy to hear they're enjoying their food and that the stools have improved. Stool colour changes depending on the food eaten. If the food is light in colouring, then the stool usually comes out light in colouring also. You will see the difference in stools when you start getting them onto a frankenprey menu. Organ stools especially are known to be dark in colouring, and have quite the odor punch to them lol! (Still not as bad as kibble stools though.) It must be really exciting getting your first car. It will definitely make getting around more efficient. Yes, you can go a head and try the Lamb mince if things don't work out. I think that with the way Jaz and Jax are going at the moment, that they will be completely on the raw food in no time, so starting new proteins is a very good idea. ^^ In regards to the wood stove pellets, It really depends. Many shelters or stables will use it for litter or bedding for animals. However, not all wood pellets are safe. Not all wood pellets will have the volatile oils (cedar/pine) dried out of them, some may be soaked with chemicals. If they are kiln dried, then they should be relatively safe to use. You may need to look into the manufacturer to ensure that that specific type is safe for animal bedding. The pellets are made from compacted sawdust, so they are exposed to moisture / water they expand and revert to sawdust. My only concern would be the possibility of respiratory issues due to the sawdust. However if you don't notice any issues, then I'm sure it should be fine. ^^
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